My very first carving - The 5-min Wizard

[Noshtero]

These are my very first carvings. I've owned the tools for... oh... 2 days now

The blue hat one was the first one. I painted it myself just to make sure the parts all lined up. I obviously have no talent for painting.

The green hat is my second one, carved the next day. My wife painted that one. Our goal is to have me carve them, her paint them. I think she's got a headstart in the skills department.

Please give me all the critique and advice you can. I don't know any of the tricks of the trade, so this is as close as I could get to word for word following the tutorial in WCI.

Thanks!

[Iowa Carver]

Excellent! I think they look great!

Corey

[WoodcarverDave]

Great job. Tools for 2 days and already 2 carvings, way to go!!!

[Grimnir]

They look excellent! I love the expression on the top one, looks like he's just seen a dragon!

[tucker1931]

Well sir, you are doing real well, put them side by side and already you can see improvement in the second one. Picture in your mind how good your tenth one will look. If you had a little "V" tool and made some hair lines you would see 100% improvement.
Cliff

[Noshtero]

Originally Posted by tucker1931

Well sir, you are doing real well, put them side by side and already you can see improvement in the second one. Picture in your mind how good your tenth one will look. If you had a little "V" tool and made some hair lines you would see 100% improvement.
Cliff

I have a V tool I think. It's just a very steep gouge right? I just haven't mastered using it. I think I need to make the gouges quite a bit deeper because after paint you can hardly see them.

[Tom-H]

I agree what what's been posted. You are on your way. You have already discovered that by merely changing an angle and size of a cut you get a whole different expression. And I agree that you can go a wee bit deeper with some of the cuts. I think after your go deeper with the cuts around the features you will want to kinda "round the cuts edges of a little . Keep on goin, and you'll continually suprise yourself...Lookin good!

Tom H

[Noshtero]

Originally Posted by Tom H

I agree what what's been posted. You are on your way. You have already discovered that by merely changing an angle and size of a cut you get a whole different expression. And I agree that you can go a wee bit deeper with some of the cuts. I think after your go deeper with the cuts around the features you will want to kinda "round the cuts edges of a little . Keep on goin, and you'll continually suprise yourself...Lookin good!

Tom H

Got you. Ya like the area right under the nose on the green hat guy looks like a perfect triangle. I could soften those edges quite a bit. I'll work on that for my next one. Thanks! Thumbs Up

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Good start...something called "practice", now do a hundred more and then move on to the next carving lol.............

[Noshtero]

Originally Posted by Hi_Ho_Sliver

Good start...something called "practice", now do a hundred more and then move on to the next carving lol.............

Actually, I was going to ask about that. Do beginning carvers often carve lots and lots of the same carving? I would think it would be good practice. My thoughts are, I can easily turn these wizard heads into ornaments by screwing a brass eye into their hats. I could make sets for friends and family for Christmas.

Then the question, where do I go next? Do I just pick another project from a magazine and start making lots of them?